Effect of sanitizer combined with steam heating on the inactivation of foodborne pathogens in a biofilm on stainless steel

The combined effect of chemical sanitizers including sodium hypochlorite, hydrogen peroxide, iodophor, and benzalkonium chloride with steam heating on the inactivation of biofilms formed by Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella Typhimurium, and Listeria monocytogenes on stainless steel was investigated. Six day old biofilms, comprised of a mixture of three strains each of three foodborne pathogens, were produced on stainless steel coupons at 25 °C and treated with each sanitizer alone (for 5, 15, and 30 s), steam alone (for 5, 10, and 20 s), and the combination. There was a synergistic effect of sanitizer and steam on the viability of biofilm cells of the three pathogens as evidenced by plating counts and imaging. The combination treatment achieved an additional 0.01 to 2.78 log reduction compared to the sum of each individual treatment. The most effective combination for reducing levels of biofilm cells was the combination of steam and iodophor; steam for 20 s and merely 20 ppm iodophor for 30 s reduced cell numbers to below the detection limit (<1.48 log CFU/coupon). These results suggest that the combination treatment of sanitizer with steam can be applied to control foodborne pathogens biofilm cells in food processing facilities as a potential intervention.